The Legend of Zelda: Balanced Heart
by Henry
Summary: Revived with the blood of the Hero of Time, Ganondorf finds himself presented with a unique opportunity. With his newfound power, Ganondorf may be able to remove his only vulnerability, and finally gain control of Hyrule once and for all.
1. One and the Same

_THE LEGEND OF ZELDA_

The Balanced Heart

By Henry

**CHAPTER ONE: One and the Same**

Ganondorf looked down at what he now held in his left hand, unused to so much light shining from a single blade. As his adversary approached, and he raised the weapon to defend himself, the King of the Gerudo couldn't help but note how light the weapon was, moving with an easy grace. The sword wielded by the boy in the green tunic –by comparison- already showed signs of wear.

Yet, despite his apparent advantage, Ganondorf was still troubled. Even a mind as arrogant as his was not indifferent to pattern recognition. How many times had he fought this same battle, with a boy playing the part of hero? How many times had he underestimated the youth that rose to challenge him?

How many times had this mere boy defeated him?

Yet now… now that would never happen again.

_I know you are not invincible,_ Ganondorf thought as their blades clashed once more. _I know you're made of flesh and blood._

He recalled the first time he'd seen that green tunic, when a boy from the Kokiri Forest dared to challenge him and interfere with his hunt for the Ocarina of Time, and by extension, the Triforce. Gandondorf struck him down effortlessly.

_You are just a boy._

And yet, that boy returned and defeated him, denying Ganondorf his dream of completing the Triforce and establishing his rule over Hyrule once and forever. After being sealed away for decades… centuries, he'd returned-

-only to find another boy, dressed in that same green tunic, wielding the blade of evil's bane and vanquishing the Evil King once again. Ganondorf's physical form was damaged, but the Triforce of Power would not let him die. Not so long as there was enough of him to put back together.

_I am a god._

When sealing had failed, when execution had failed, the sages tried a combination of the two, condemning him to a world separate from Hyrule, where he could only manipulate, until a method of return was established. Using a usurper king as his pawn, Ganondorf returned to the land he coveted, only to be struck down once more by the boy and his sword.

It was, to some degree understandable. The boy possessed the Triforce of Courage and he'd been aided by Princess Zelda, who possessed the Triforce of Wisdom. As he mused on that, Ganondorf attempted a more subtle approach, taking possession of a benevolent wizard to subjugate Hyrule, even as he remained drifting listlessly, imprisoned in the Dark World. With more magical power than ever, he still fell to the blade of evil's bane.

_It was never you who defeated me,_ Ganondorf pointed out, shoving his adversary to the floor and narrowly missing the finishing blow.

One final time, Ganondorf attempted to subjugate Hyrule, but again the boy rose to challenge him, dressed like all his predecessors. One final time Ganondorf was defeated, and this time slain, torn apart to a point where even the Triforce of Power could not revive him. He was still alive, but unable to resume his shape and regain his strength.

In that state of defeat, his followers hatched a plan to revive him, and allied with the ancient occultists once known as the Dark Interlopers. Together, they used their dark magic to create a copy of the boy, to battle him.

The blade of evil's bane would only respond to Ganondorf himself. It slumbered in the sacred grove, and the boy faced his doppelganger without it. He fell, unable to fight the darkness forever.

_It was always the sword. Never you._

The followers returned to Ganondorf and sprinkled the boy's blood upon his remains. Combined with their magic, and the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf returned, born anew.

And born more powerful than ever, with the essence of his adversary now running through his veins. Ganondorf felt it immediately, and upon his return looked at his hand. Alongside the Triforce of Power, the Triforce of Courage had burned into his flesh. It was incomplete, it had never truly been his' to hold, but as its former host had been used to recreate him, Ganondorf now held a portion of its power.

_The sword…_

His followers celebrated his return. All save the doppelganger, who was capable only of destruction. It was just a construct, just a tool- but one Ganondorf had not made. He could not simply dismiss the doppelganger nor did he wish to destroy it, so he left it to its own motions, to destroy further. The Dark Interlopers raised no objection, and joined the Evil King's minions in spreading word of his return.

Ganondorf, however, did not take time to celebrate. He ran to what had once been the Temple of Time, now overrun by a dense, dark forest, where he knew his prize would await him. When he saw the cool steel and the powerful hilt, embedded in that pedestal, Ganondorf knew he could not waste the opportunity.

The one thing that had ever defeated him. The only thing that had denied him his dreams lay before him, itself the key to reuniting the Triforce and granting him dominion over Hyrule once and for all. He hesitated for a moment, not knowing if the blade would repel him… or even destroy him all over again!

He had to know. And if he was right, he would never know fear again.

Ganondorf grasped the hilt and lifted the Master Sword from its resting place. It shined brightly, its power unleashed in his hand, and the two symbols of the Triforce burning ever brighter. At last, Ganondorf held the greatest weapon in Hyrule, and the only thing he had ever truly feared.

And now he held it as easily as his adversary had, and when a new boy rose to challenge him, he did so without the blade of evil's bane. Ganondorf knew from the very beginning no other sword could defeat him, and as the battle dragged on, the boy knew it too.

The Princess Zelda, newly awoken from a lengthy slumber, watched from the sidelines. She had dreamed of this battle while in her cursed sleep, but never saw its outcome. She believed in Link, as her ancestors had before her, and believed peace would be restored to Hyrule with just this battle.

This boy had saved her from her sleep, and defended Hyrule from the threat of evil, as his predecessor had. He was the rightful successor to the Hero of Time, now bearing that mantle and the famed green tunic, and had accepted his destiny with humility and grace. He had proven to Zelda that he was like no one else in Hyrule. He was their hope for the future.

And when he missed a crucial strike, Ganondorf drove the Master Sword through Link's torso. He could not speak in reaction, as his mouth quickly filled with blood. He dropped his sword and shield, and as Ganondorf drew his weapon away, Link fell to the floor, the Evil King standing triumphantly over him.

Zelda had seen many brave men fall before Ganondorf, but she had never expected to see him defeat Link. It had never happened. It had always been the Hero of Time's destiny to slay the Evil King.

Yet now, as she saw him roll, blood falling from his chest and tears rolling down his eyes, as she saw him pleading with her to flee and save herself, she knew why she had not forseen the end. If she had ever seen it at all, it was a nightmare like none she could bear.

Zelda fled, her own eyes now shining with tears, for the death of her hero… her beloved.

Ganondorf stepped towards Link as he struggled to hold onto his lie, examining him without emotion. He would not betray his happiness, his satisfaction. Not until he knew for certain.

Ganondorf struck once more with the Master Sword and Link moved no more.

And there, standing in the grand hall of Hyrule Castle, with his greatest enemy vanquished, Ganondorf raised the Master Sword high, and sent out his power, blasting through the castle roof and inviting the denizens of darkness to swarm over the land, and consolidate his reign.

He would need to pursue the Princess and be rid of her, to insure the people's loyalty, but there would be time to pursue her after he'd taken the time to savor his victory. And without her hero to save her, Ganondorf would find her, and without the forefather to sire new life, another hero would never be born. He would stamp out all resistance, and with the only weapon that could harm him now in his hand, his rule would be absolute; his reign of terror would be everlasting.

He laughed, overwhelmed by joy, as darkness enshrouded the castle and extended over the land, inviting more of his minions to him, and bringing the land of Hyrule into the kingdom he sought. He would revive those who loyally served him and fell at the hands of the hero, and send envoy to all the monstrous and exiled. With an army of creatures all would fear, and the power of the Triforce in his hand…

…and of course, the Master Sword…

_Evil and evil's bane… one and the same._

He laughed once more as the Evil King assumed his throne, the body of his adversary still on the castle floor.


	2. Consolidation

**Chapter Two: Consolidation**

Ganondorf remained in the king's throne for several minutes, looking down at his adversary, even as the stench grew progressively worse. The hole he'd blasted in the throne room's roof would need repairing too, once Ganondorf moved in completely and set up living quarters… but all were matters to be attended to in the near future. This moment of triumph was his first true victory over the boy, and he would savor every moment.

On his right hand he bore the crest of the Triforce of Power. On his left, he held half the Triforce of Courage, alongside the Master Sword. With the bearer of the other half dead, Ganondorf waited to see what would happen. Would he receive the remaining pieces of the Triforce, or would it reconstitute itself elsewhere? Without its human host, it would either bind itself to the hero's blood running in Ganondorf or would reform –even shattered and incomplete- elsewhere. Ganondorf was already planning to pursue Princess Zelda to claim the Triforce of Wisdom, so he wouldn't object to searching further; he had no reason to rush, and nothing to fear anymore.

As he waited, he felt the arrival of his minions, walking in through the castle doors. He had expected them to answer his call, and many more would join them once Ganondorf regained all of his strength and used his powers to revive his deadliest allies.

The Moblins and the Lizalfos came first, led by King Gramlin and Havoc, their strongest members and patriarchs. These creatures had always been Ganondorf's allies- and such perpetual loyalty was truly a rare thing. Though initially they followed Ganondorf simply because he was the strongest of men and had wowed them with his power, over generations of defeats their confidence had never wavered. Unlike the Gorons and the Zoras, who allied with the King of Hyrule through thick and thin, the Moblins and Lizalfos had always remained hunted and persecuted. Ganondorf was the only one who acknowledged them and promised them territories of their own to rule uncontested. He was not merely their leader, he was their savior.

Onox and Veran followed, accompanied by their soldiers and apprentices. Onox led an army of dissatisfied Hylian soldiers, willing to defect from the dull duties their former king imposed to satisfy their bloodthirsty natures. Veran was a leader of sorcerers, blessed with magical powers well beyond her years (though she may have been much older than she appeared).

The Dark Interlopers arrived last, dressed in their somber black cloaks. Only a handful of their secret society remained, and only three of them had come to meet their new king. Accompanied by the reanimated corpses commonly referred to as 'ReDeads', they joined their allies in standing before Ganondorf, and celebrating the sight of the fallen hero before him.

Their leader, who referred to himself as 'Scourge', stood before his two underlings. Ganondorf adjusted his sight carefully and saw that even now he was on the defensive; standing directly behind Scourge was the doppelganger, the same dark creature that had led to his restoration.

Despite the fact the Dark Interlopers had restored him to life, Ganondorf was wary of them. Their motivations were not the same as his; they sought destruction and chaos. While this made them useful allies when directed against the might of Hyrule's loyal forces, it made them less useful now than Ganondorf had seized the castle. Ganondorf sought to rule over Hyrule, and to preserve the beauty he had coveted.

Worse still, the doppelganger was a shadow of the original Hero of Time, something Ganondorf himself had not created. He possessed some remnant, some small essence of that lineage, and thus continued to endure so long as his descendants lived. With the blood of one such descendant now running through Ganondorf's veins, so too would the 'Dark Link' endure. This shadow existed only to destroy, and his every primitive thought was one of hatred. He had been born from the Hero of Time's doubts, fears, and frustrations… and now he was nothing but raw anger, under the careful guidance of the Interlopers. Even if the shadow was an ally, it was one beyond Ganondorf's control, and one that could theoretically wield the Blade of Evil's Bane…

"Mandrag Ganon," began Scourge, bringing Ganondorf's wandering thoughts back into focus. "We commend you on your success. Shall we begin the division of the kingdom?"

"Straight to business," Onox grunted.

"We all joined this alliance because we would benefit," Veran pointed out. "Now is a fitting time to take our just rewards."

Ganondorf snorted. His power had attracted ambitious, greedy souls… and he was rarely in a giving mood. Unlike the Moblins or the Lizalfos, these Hylians did not suffer persecution, and only sought personal gain. He understood that to some extent, but found them ungrateful, and at times, even despicable. As the last surviving member of the Gerudo, Ganondorf now found he had no people to call his own, and no true equals worthy of sharing in his glory.

Some of them he felt sympathetic towards, and others he simply used as his pawns. Now that victory had finally been obtained, it was time to cut the chaff from the wheat.

Ganondorf lifted himself from his throne and raised his arm, displaying the Triforce of Power. The Lizalfos, Moblins, and defected Hylian soldiers cheered. The Dark Interlopers remained silent.

"This castle shall be my only keep," Ganondorf said. "Though I shall have dominion over the entire world… you may make your own kingdoms wherever you please."

Veran exchanged glances with Scourge. The Lizalfos and the Moblins were congregating, discussing amongst themselves where best to start their settlements.

"However, you are not the only ones who shall decide," Ganondorf continued. "When I spread my magic once more, I shall revive our fallen brethren, and grant them the same promise."

"Once they awaken, you are sure to quarrel," Ganondorf added. "I shall have the final say. Whatever towns we allow to exist may keep their mayors, but always shall the first rights belong to those who followed me."

"Dark Lord," Havoc hissed, "There are many settlements in your kingdom. How many do you intend to spare?"

Ganondorf paused to consider. Hyrule Field was no longer as expansive as it had been in his memory; many new towns had been built on the green landscape, sitting alongside the ancient structures of their forerunners. There was a true, unified kingdom beyond the castle's walls, one that would require a long, dedicated campaign to subdue and command loyalty from.

And of course, Ganondorf would need to strike a delicate balance and keep a few of those towns intact, lest the entire population rebel against him. Though not unwilling to bring devastation to the citizens, Ganondorf was reluctant to damage Hyrule more than necessary.

And some of his allies intended to do the exact opposite…

"Return to your camps for now," Ganondorf ordered. "Tomorrow we shall march on the field and destroy all remnants of resistance. When their princess kneels before me, the Hylians will obey my every order."

_And, while you slumber, I shall revive my closest advisors… and see who among you I must dispose of._

Ganondorf departed from the throne, but paused to look at the remains of the hero.

"Hang him from the castle's highest tower," Ganondorf instructed King Gramlin, and the bloodthirsty king happily followed the order.

As Ganondorf passed the three Interlopers, Scourge briefly examined Ganondorf's left hand. Still he possessed only half of the crest; his Triforce of Courage remained incomplete.

Exactly as Scourge had planned.

"We take our leave," he said aloud, bowing to the King of Evil and heading away with his minions. The shadow remained, briefly looking at Ganondorf with his hollow, sunken black eyes before following the Interlopers to the exit.

The Lizalfos and the Moblins continued to celebrate, planning a feast for the evening to celebrate the victory.

Veran and her small band of sorcerers began to peruse the castle's library and records, while Onox and his men raided the armories in pursuit of better weaponry to add to their arsenal.

Ganondorf himself ascended to one of the castle's highest towers and looked out over the kingdom. Fires burned in the distance, where his minions had fought the Hylian army and militias, sacrificing themselves so he could reside in the castle and await the boy who would be his final challenge.

Now, he'd need only find the Princess and return to the Sacred Realm, and retrieve the pieces of the Triforce that had eluded him. He would finally be able to make his wish.

To rule Hyrule forever…

However, there was much work to be done. The Princess had eluded him many times, in many different incarnations… it would take time.

Yet, now, it seemed, he had all the time in the world. Save a few troublesome flies.

Once he put his house in order, he would attend to Zelda…

-

Zelda herself had fled with the remnants of the castle guards, soldiers, and a few inhabitants of the town surrounding her castle. She had gone in the direction of old Kakariko, at the northwest corner of Hyrule beneath Death Mountain, she took refuge in the destroyed remnants of the old windmill, avoiding the homes of the citizens for now; she wouldn't want anyone to let slip she had fled here, lest Ganondorf find her only more quickly.

The soldiers were already debating possible ways of retaking the castle, but Zelda knew it to be pointless. Ganondorf now held the only weapon that could harm him.. the only weapon save the powers of light, powers unique to sages and Zelda herself.

But her powers were weak and rudimentary… she would need to develop them further before she could utilize them in any way such as to harm the evil king. That was a gift the Triforce of Wisdom had imbued within her, and yet now…

Now, when she slept, she did not dream. She did not see the future as she had every day before the hero's arrival, and wondered why her precognition had faded now.

As she sat there, in that destroyed windmill, and saw storm clouds forming above her, she wondered why she could not have predicted an age of such terrible darkness. She found a crate and a bale of hay and rested, curling up for warmth as she felt droplets of rain fall from the withered stone structure.

She had not foreseen this… her short tenure as matriarch of this kingdom, after years of cursed slumber, had quickly wrought ruin, and there was surely more to come.

Her ancestors had faced similar trials, and bravely resisted Ganondorf until a hero could rise to challenge him, fulfilling a destiny preordained by his bloodline.

Yet now, no such hero could arise, with Link dead… with the Master Sword in Ganondorf's hand…

Zelda opened her eyes and looked down, running a hand across her stomach. She felt nothing there, but wondered…

…_or could he?_

-

Scourge led the hero's shadow into a dark, overrun woods. "This is where Hyrule Castle town once stood," Scourge told him. "Do you remember that?"

The shadow could not speak. Whatever memories he possessed were fragmented, contorted by his desire for destruction.

"This is where the Temple of Time existed, where the entrance to the Sacred Realm was violated," Scourge explained, leading the doppelganger to the simple, empty pedestal, surrounded by mist.

The hero's shadow looked down at the empty stone, his recollection slowly returning… as Scourge carefully guided his thoughts, manipulating his simple, one dimensional mind.

"The blade of evil's bane was stolen from you," Scourge told him. "It is your destiny to wield it."

The sword strapped to the doppelganger's back was nothing but a construct of the magic that had birthed him. It could not compare to the genuine article.

That jealousy compounded with his rage, exactly as Scourge had predicted.

"Patience," Scourge suggested, sensing the apparition's wrath. "I will help you regain your birthright."

Dark Link's hollow, sunken black eyes betrayed no emotion. No loyalty. Nonetheless, Scourge knew the doppelganger was curious.

"I shall take you further, to the other end of these Lost Woods," Scourge promised. "And to the other place your soul visited…"

_And,_ Scourge thought privately, _to the place where Ganondorf will be unable to reach you… at least until the time is right._


	3. Surrogates

**Chapter Three: Surrogates**

Ganondorf looked down at his minions, gathered in small encampments outside of Hyrule Castle's walls, with military commanders and their personal guards within the castle's spacious courtyard, directly adjacent to its central tower and throne room, where the King of Evil resided.

The first group he saw was the Moblins, commanding their various substrains according to rank. King Gramlin held ultimate sway over his goblin brethren, but even the lowest of Moblins ruled over their weaker cousins, the Bublins, long ago disgraced when their king surrendered to the Hero of Twilight. Ganondorf himself did not lay blame on these descendants, but felt some grim satisfaction in seeing them relegated and cowed into servitude by their more powerful, more loyal cousins.

Not far, and at times intermingling with the Moblin camp, sat Onox's army. They were feasting, drinking, and engaging in wrestling and wild brawling. Even victory could not sate these men's lust for battle, and indeed they battled each other just to pass the time, gambling away their old salaries and harshly punishing the losers (assuming they survived the first fight). They were unruly, but had the discipline of soldiers, and they would remain useful.

The Lizalfos were positioned furthest away, near a large bonfire; they needed such heat, which is why they had preferred the desert and its subterranean caverns. Unlike Ganondorf, they did not seek the temperate climate of Hyrule, they just needed more lands to call their own to house their population, and more fertile lands to catch their prey within. Though they enjoyed the climate of the desert more than Ganondorf had, they too had despised the emptiness, the void of life. Because of their appearance, they had long ago been forced out of civilized lands, and their hatred of Hylians was centuries, millennia old, and none of them remembered quite why they had been denied.

Ganondorf also spotted Veran and her small entourage of aspiring sorceresses and mages almost directly below his tower, carrying enormous numbers of books from the royal library. A few of their servants were lighting lanterns and building fires, and they were unlikely to get any rest that night. Not while there was something to learn.

The Dark Interlopers had left long ago, and Ganondorf had no idea where they'd disappeared to. Did they already suspect his plans to dispose of them? Or had they spent so much time wandering in darkness they could no longer bear to see light?

Whatever the reason, it was time for him to retrieve his helpers, and fulfill a promise he'd made before he seized the Triforce of Power.

Such was the act of a 'good son', after all.

-

Scourge and Dark Link stopped at last, as they reached the densest place in the woods, and stood before a damaged tree, with a deep, dark crevice within its trunk.

It was hard to believe, Scourge mused, that this entrance had once been a larger chasm, one of many such deep canyons in the land of Hyrule. Millennia or more ago, his ancestors had discovered the properties of this chasm, and realized where it led.

They had retrieved a rather curious object, apparently from the other side, and attempted to control its power, only to find the object possessed those who sought to wield it. They abandoned the evil, sentient thing to its own devices.

The last they heard of it, it had been destroyed by the ancient savior of Hyrule, the Hero of Time. Such, it seemed, was a typical fate for those who sought to gain control over the fertile world.

But the Hero of Time had done battle with the evil object on the other side of this chasm, in a land beyond the reach of even Ganondorf.

From what few of their number had returned, they had at least learned what to call it:

Termina.

-

Ganondorf disappeared from his new bedchamber in the castle's tower, teleporting out beyond inhabited borders to within an immense desert he had once called his home. While he had no particular desire to visit this place again, he knew that his mothers had interred themselves here, in a place where no mortal could survive long enough to find them.

Like all Gerudo they had lived in these barren wastes, and shared Ganondorf's distaste for it. However, as the Gerudo slowly died out and their blood ceased to be pure as they married Hylian men, his mothers decided to remain here, to vanguard the secrets of their race, and keep their most powerful magical abilities hidden away from prying and unworthy eyes.

Ganondorf was uncomfortable with the spot they'd chosen, as he could still clearly see the Arbiter's Grounds, even though the sands of time had nearly worn it away. It was at the top of that ancient tower where the Ancient Sages had attempted to execute him, and then successfully trapped him in the realm of twilight. Though with each successive entrapment the time had seemed to flow faster, each time Ganondorf had been imprisoned he had waited decades or more for an opportunity to free himself.

He wasn't a particularly patient man to begin with. That he had been denied so often had only amplified his anger and his desire for conquest. It had driven him to pursue vengeance, where before he may have been content to simply rule unopposed, now he felt it necessary to quell any uprising. His appearance when trapped in what had once been the Sacred Realm had changed drastically from the man standing before the desert spire. His anger and hatred warped him into a true monster, a form he had created during his first battle with the Hero of Time. In his desperate search for greater power he had allowed the Triforce piece to warp and contort his body, so long as it made him stronger.

In the end, power and strength were all that mattered. Everyone would yield to a king, no matter what kind of face was beneath his crown.

He reached down to lift the sands, searching for the uneven grains. Somewhere, waiting beneath the endless desert-

-he found it a few moments later, as he allowed the sand to fall away from his hand, and retrieved the one single bauble among the trillions worth keeping. With a small amplification of his power, Ganondorf activated the latent energies within the smooth grain, and the ground beneath him began to rumble.

Slowly, the tower emerged from beneath the desert wastes. Small structure though it had once been, beneath the shifting sands existed a larger building. It had once been a resting place and sanctuary for those who sought to cross the desert. Like every other building out in the waste, it had been worn away by the sands, but had served its purpose and protected its occupants from the damage of time's flow.

Ganondorf stepped easily inside rather than rip a wall asunder –his preferred method of entry- so as to preserve the precious contents within, stored inside a single crystal, scarcely larger than a grain of sand. This precious stone had served as a safeguard for Hyrule's two most powerful mages several times throughout their centuries-long lives, and for them, their time spent within would be instantaneous, not unlike the magical slumber Zelda had once been confined to.

Ganondorf released a wave of his magic as he grasped the crystal, allowing his power to flow through it and for his energy to be detected by its inhabitants. Immediately the dull crystal ran through a spectrum of colors, from blue, to red, before becoming purple like an amethyst, and beginning to expand.

The King of Evil set the crystal down and allowed the process to complete itself. Once reaching an optimum length it split into two, and from each of its 'halves' formed an old woman in a black robe, adorned by an additional color- red or blue- and briefly alight with energy tinted purple. The two took a few moments to gather their bearings before recognizing the man before them, and at once their initial torpor turned to delight.

"Good morning," Ganondorf greeted. "Mothers."

-

What castle guards remained with the princess had finally agreed that nothing could be done to retake Hyrule Castle with their limited numbers, and were now contemplating where to flee to, as the King of Evil would surely send his minions to follow them, and Kakariko was not far from his new stronghold. They weren't sure who among the people they could trust to conceal them; after so many returns from apparent death or imprisonment, everyone in Hyrule had come to fear the Dark Lord, and had no wish to provoke his ire. Old oaths to protect the royal bloodline had been replaced by simple, ordinary practicality, and the majority of Hyrule's citizens would pledge fealty to Ganon once his reign was consolidated. Even now word of his return and subsequent victory was spreading, and soon it would be common knowledge.

Who could she trust? Zelda had been locked away in an enchanted sleep; she'd been saved by the new hero before Ganondorf had seized her throne, but she had barely time to so much as meet the populace. She knew a few mayors and constables, and she had her own servants and soldiers, but the common people of Hyrule had not even seen her before the Dark Lord staged his coup. She had no more right to command them than her usurper.

"We should head to Zora's Domain," Zelda recommended. "If the Zora have turned against us there is no hope at all."

"What of the Gorons?" a soldier asked. "We are right beside their territory."

"And right beside Ganondorf as well," Zelda pointed out. "He will come to this village, and he will scale that mountain. If we go to Zora's domain we can escape along any river. If we go to Goron Mountain we will have to remain there, and Ganondorf will outlast us."

_He had the Master Sword as well as the Triforce of Power,_ Zelda added only to herself. _He is immortal and holding one of only two weapons that can harm him._

The other, of course, was the light held within the Triforce of Wisdom. She could harm Ganondorf with it –light was anathema to an impure mind like his- but she could barely wield it as she was, returned from her long sleep. She did not possess the same strength Link did, and thus could not use her power for extended periods of time. She could not wield the Master Sword, and had only mediocre skill with a bow. Firing off the light in short bursts would only stun Ganondorf; not kill him. That secret she had learned from her ancestors, all the way back to the first Princess Zelda.

"Will he not follow us wherever we flee to?" asked another soldier.

"Yes, he will," Zelda confirmed. "We will all be parting ways in time. If our old allies will offer us refuge for a short while, that will be all we need. Ganondorf is arrogant- he will savor his victory before he pursues us. When he comes, he will be relentless. We must be out of his reach."

Though the soldiers certainly had objections (their faces betrayed that), they followed her command. Zelda and her servants headed out once more on foot, cloaked and concealed so as not to call attention to themselves. They headed to the nearest developed settlement, the village of Darunia, home to a small community of Goron miners and Hylian craftsmen.

As they entered the vastness of Hyrule field, a solitary man on horseback watched them pass with his single eye.

He had long since discarded his name, as was customary for those accepted into the hierarchy of the Dark Interlopers. He had been allowed to name himself anew once he was trusted, and chose the title- 'Collector,' after an… unusual hobby of his, which his brothers thoroughly approved of. He was third in command, and had remained just beyond Ganon's allies, supporting his master Scourge from afar.

Zelda was moving, as they predicted. She had to remain outside of Mandrag Ganon's reach, in the hope this would prevent him from playing out the betrayal they knew was coming. Ganon hated to sully his own hands, and would keep the Interlopers to track the princess.

The Interlopers themselves had plans for her, after all… they needed the piece of the Triforce embedded within her heart. Ganondorf nearly had two already, and once all three came together, whoever first touched the unified Triforce would be granted their wish.

For the Dark Interlopers, on the verge of extinction and after centuries of struggle, would finally grasp the power of the gods and make it their own.

And if all else failed, Scourge had his back up plan… and Collector, too, had an agenda. Every ruler was willing to compromise their principles for the sake of peace and prosperity… and the credit that came with it. Princess Zelda, however pure of heart she may have been, was surely a pragmatist. She would be willing to make a pact with the Interlopers and ally with them against Ganondorf.

Twice before, the Triforce of Power had fled from Ganondorf's hand. Once the Interlopers caused enough damage to make that happen, the one who felled the King of Evil could claim his power.

And then, of course, they would kill the Princess and complete the unification. They would end the endless cycle that had denied them their dreams time and time again.

The Triforce remained in three parts because of Ganondorf's undying ambition and Zelda's unyielding resistance, and the inevitable rise of a boy from the forest with uncompromising bravery.

One down. Two to go.

Collector stirred up his horse and followed them across the field, impossible to perceive in the darkness, as the Dark Interlopers always had been.

-

"This isn't the kingdom I remember," Koume observed, floating on her broomstick beside her sister as they headed from the desert back to the center of the green lands of Hyrule. "How long has it been?"

"Centuries," Kotake guessed. "It would take that long to develop this sort of infrastructure. The kingdom of Hyrule has actually colonized the field; population must be a lot bigger."

"And our daughters must've intermarried and left the desert behind," Koume noted, grim. "Weak hearted traitors."

"Can you blame them?" Kotake asked. "What choice did they have, without a strong hand to guide them?"

"They were proud warriors," Koume snorted. "I'd hoped we had raised them better."

Ganondorf floated beside them over the landscape, examining the villages dotting the green surface; unwelcome blemishes on the land he had coveted for so long. He was not so bloodthirsty as to wish all of them destroyed, but he could do with fewer settlements. Hyrule's once perfect beauty had been corrupted by the rise of industry and horticulture, and its natural state was gradually losing out to increased populations.

And Ganondorf's allies had joined him specifically to gain parts of that territory to forge new kingdoms for themselves… with the Gerudo gone, Ganondorf had no people of his own to safeguard, only the tools he had kept.

Some were loyal, and he would honor his promises. Others were anything but, and it was time to deal with them.

"There is no need to focus on the past," Ganondorf told his mothers. "The Gerudo will live forever, so long as I endure."

Koume smiled. "That's our boy."

"Our king," Kotake corrected.

It was a fitting place, Ganondorf concluded, to be the last of the Gerudo. Whatever affection he'd once had for his people had been sacrificed to his ambition of ruling Hyrule. Whatever affection he had for his mothers had dulled; now it was simply out of respect for their magical power that he had come to collect them. To him, the name Gerudo was only an unpleasant reminder of the desert he had reluctantly called his home.

Only because he and his mothers had been sealed away had they avoided aging; only because of the strength of their magic and his Triforce of Power had they survived for centuries. Ganondorf could not begrudge his former people for being mortal, or for figuratively dying out. Time, he had learned, would never truly stop.

Except, of course, for those about to die.

-

The order came down as soon as Ganondorf returned to the castle. He summoned his Dark Interloper allies to his throne room to accept their reward, while quietly giving word to Havoc and Gramlin to kill any stragglers. They obeyed him without question- they had never trusted Hylians anyway- and were only too willing to dispose of them.

Only two of the cloaked, somber members stepped in. Their leader was gone, and so was the apparition known as Dark Link.

"Where is Scourge?" Ganondorf asked.

"Returned to tell our brothers the good news," answered one of the two. "He intends to return at first light."

"You have promised our reward," the second pointed out.

"Yes," Ganondorf confirmed. "Eternal peace."

He drew the Master Sword and disposed of his treacherous allies. Outside, he could just barely hear the battle cry of the Lizalfos as they began one last slaughter after a long day's battle… and the night soon erupted in chaos. Even with less than a dozen former allies to fell, there was plenty of fun to be had…


	4. What Never Was

**Chapter Four: What Never Was**

Scourge had felt his brothers' deaths, connected by the pact they had made in pledging their fealty to him and the dreams of their forerunners. Even now, he was sure, his surviving brethren were being rounded up to be exterminated, and he'd feel more such terror before the night was over.

Mandrag Ganon had slain two of his brothers personally. Scourge was surprised Ganon had taken the time to kill any of them, but it was a boon. Without the head of their leader, Ganon would waste time hunting for any remaining pockets of their dark brotherhood, unaware that Scourge was beyond his reach.

His brothers would all die, but he had known that when he formulated this plan. He would reward them, and bring them back once the power of the gods was in his hand… or he would honor their memory if such a feat was beyond the abilities of even the Triforce.

For now, he would abscond with his unknowing pawn, to a place Ganon would never find, for the King of Evil had always failed to comprehend that there were lands outside of Hyrule worth coveting, and powers in those lands he could never wield.

So, Scourge stepped through the dead tree, and began a descent into darkness with Dark Link in tow.

Dark Link, for his part, had made journeys he had not fully comprehended before. His mind could not grasp some details, the most notable of which, as he'd heard from Scourge, was that he should not have existed at all.

Dark Link understood it on one level: he had come into existence when the first Hero of Time had wandered through an immense labyrinth beneath the waves of Lake Hylia… but that event had never happened, because the Hero of Time had returned to seven years prior, and that timeline, that future… had ceased to exist, at least as far as anyone knew.

When the Dark Interlopers found him, they had extracted what they could from his memories. Though they were uncertain how, exactly, it had happened, Scourge had produced a hypothesis. The Hero of Time made at least one trip through time, after Dark Link's emergence… he had returned to the time of his childhood from Hyrule's nightmarish future, after their battle in the Water Temple.

Dark Link, unlike the other monsters Link had battled in that alternate timeline, was not a beast imprisoned by ancient peoples, or a product of Ganondorf's magic. He was the manifestation of the hero's doubts, fear, and anger… his creation was an inevitable result from the undertaking the Hero of Time had chosen to accept. Though bested by his creator, Dark Link had lingered on, always a part of the hero's soul… and had accompanied him through the time stream, and on every adventure Link and his descendants took thereafter.

His memory was not a memory at all, but rather more like a program. What he recalled was only battle- recovering the memories of his host was as easy as forcing blood from a stone. Scourge had seen only flashes, and had to piece together what he could from that clumsy and unfinished picture. Dark Link would emerge subtly, without taking physical form, when his host would do battle and succumb to anger and bloodlust. All the heroes had shared this flaw: whether they enjoyed doing battle or not, they all felt fear and tension, and would allow their aggression to show.

He had been here before, but Dark Link wouldn't realize it until Scourge needed him to. They had a long search ahead of them, one that would take weeks, months, years… when he would unearth his trump card and force Dark Link to remember the power he was capable of generating. Until he remembered that the Hero of Time's greatest moment of strength had not come from battle with the King of Evil, but something else entirely.

Dark Link didn't have the capability to wax philosophical, or understand what purpose he had, now that his host was gone. That he remained without a hero was itself an abnormality, but one Scourge had anticipated… there would always be a hero to oppose Ganon and wield the blade of evil's bane, even if it was nothing but a shadow, construed from doubt and fear.

He would obey Scourge, because he could do nothing else. Until Scourge took the ultimate risk in his master plan, that was, and Dark Link would, at least for a moment, be forced to remember…

Until they found the mask…

-

Ganondorf's minions cleaned the blood from the antechamber and disposed of the bodies, preparing a meal for the Lizalfos. Now, at last, he was surrounded by those he could trust, and would hunt down any stragglers without difficulty, given how easily they had fallen before his might.

However, Ganondorf was _not_ looking forward to what lay ahead, now that the initial thrill of victory had worn off. Now he would have to find Zelda, and then meet with the local leaders of the villages popping up over Hyrule. Some he would pardon, and others he would banish to form new communities and make way for his minions. Any who harbored the Princess, or refused to pledge their fealty to him, of course… _that_, at least, he could look forward to.

First, however, the Dark Lord would enjoy a night's rest in the royal bedchamber. Though his control over Hyrule would not be complete until he held the completed Triforce and spoke aloud his wish, for now he could savor the king's lavish comforts, and enjoy a well earned night's rest.

Powerful though his ambition was, Ganondorf rarely fantasized about ruling Hyrule, even when locked away in the Sacred Realm. Instead, when he rested and when he dreamed, he would always see one of two things: memories or simple pleasures.

Simple pleasures for him were the same as would be for any man. He enjoyed feasting, and boasting of his accomplishments to any who would listen, telling his story and wowing others with his exploits. Yet, living in a community of all women had dulled this somewhat: they were mothers, sisters, and daughters to him, even if they called him King. They listened out of the laws of their people rather than any interest in him; and when he remained in those barren wastes he had felt that powerful loneliness, as the only man… he had friends as a child, he remembered, many women stronger even than he had been, yet none who he could truly relate to, with that divide of gender. After allying with the Lizalfos and the Goblins, he found an entirely new divide: though comrades, they were not like him. They had similarities, but no matter how he tried, Ganondorf could not share their appreciation for simple material wealth or inhuman amounts of meat.

Ganondorf also loved to ride, and had excelled at horseback, and had befriended many steeds, caring for them like comrades. Yet, unlike the bright, open lands of Hyrule where man and horse could let loose and enjoy a journey together, he had lived in a hot, oppressive desert, where runs were always brief, and short supplies of water led to several of them dying of dehydration; even the king's own horse was not immune to such droughts, and he had seen many of his steeds perish in those desert stands. Many more had died simply from age, as each time he returned from imprisonment or near destruction, many lifetimes had passed, and his old comrades had gone.

He had spent so much time pursuing his goal of taking control of Hyrule that he had often neglected taking the time to do such things, and he regretted that.

Memories, of course, were almost invariably of conflict. From helping the king of Hyrule to pacify a Civil War, before he had touched the Triforce of Power, all the way to now, holding the blade of evil's bane in his hand.

He was triumphant, but the cost had been greater than he ever realized. Greater than anyone should ever have had to pay for their ambition.

Yet now he was king. Now he had nothing to fea-

-he saw blood on the shimmering blade in his hand. King Gramlin lay before him, reaching desperately to Ganondorf's boot, looking up, still astonished.

"Why, my king?" Gramlin asked. "I thought our traitors were all gone."

Though hardly a brilliant mind, Gramlin was not alone in his confusion. Ganondorf had no idea how he'd come there, nor-

**You're not alone in here, Ganondorf.**

No, it wasn't possible.

**So long as you hold my courage…**

His left hand moved on its own, showing him the burning half of a Triangle, carved into his flesh.

…**you hold my conscience.**

Ganondorf dropped the Master Sword, watching it clang on the ground.

If the other goblins saw this… if they knew what he'd done…

Ganondorf clenched his hand. He moved it without effort, without resistance.

"Say something again," Ganondorf told the empty air.

The dark, empty tent gave no reply, but the sound of King Gramlin's final breaths.

Ganondorf reached down to reclaim the sword. Surely, some nightmare he could not remember…

…until his left hand attacked him with his own sword, and Ganon grasped the blade with his free right hand, feeling pain again…

**Your nightmare has only begun.**

Ganondorf found himself once more in the royal bedchamber, waking with a gasp. The Master Sword remained in his hand, the half of the Triforce of Courage still burned into his hand.

Outside, he heard cries of surprise and fury. The Moblins were reacting, cursing the Dark Interlopers for somehow eluding them… for assassinating their king.

Ganondorf lifted from bed and held the Master Sword to the pale moonlight, and saw the drying stains of Gramlin's blood upon the steel.

-

To avoid being direct, Zelda and her companions had taken refuge in a farmhouse at the town's outskirts. The area had once been a ranch, centuries before, and its outskirts were still contained by large rock walls and fences, and the sound of animals grazing proved soothing as the night neared its end.

Zelda looked on at her unhappy personal guard, each man contemplating the fate that awaited them. Some were undoubtedly considering abandoning her; none of them wanted to run forever. Surely they had families to return to, and homes to tend, and Ganondorf had never paid much heed to foot soldiers. They could probably escape punishment if they would but leave her side.

Zelda had not dreamed of late. She had no idea what the future held. It was troubling to her, having spent her entire life (including her enchanted sleep) with some form of precognition, and now events played out without her being aware of them beforehand. How else could the King of Evil have successfully captured her throne? How else could she not know which of her cohorts she could completely depend on?

"You looking for a place to stay the night?"

A mature woman walked over to Zelda and her companions. The soldiers seemed ready to defend, but Zelda waved them off, eyeing the lady. She was middle aged, with flaming red hair and blue eyes; her skin was slightly tanned but still fair, like the princess.

"I welcome the ruler of Hyrule into my home," she greeted. "Now that you've blessed me with your presence."

"Blessed you?" Zelda repeated, looking for hidden meaning, or worse –a threat.

"My husband and my son both sought to free you from your slumber," she explained. "They couldn't help it; it was their destiny. So long as they lived, they would always be bound to you."

Zelda caught on. "Are you-?"

"My name is Valon," she introduced. "And I think the two of us should be better acquainted, given all my boys have been through on your account."

-

"It was a troubling dream, nothing more," Ganondorf lied, as his mothers eyed him with barely concealed disbelief.

"A dream where you found the Goblin dead, right as he died outside the castle?" Kotake asked. "Conspicuous."

"It was odd, yes," Ganondorf conceded. "But I was in my bed when I awoke; the Master Sword was clean." It was a carefully calculated statement; it was difficult for Ganondorf to remain so calm when he too was concerned about the strange after effect of the sword in his hand.

"Or cleaned," Koume whispered to her sister, who nodded.

A knock on his bedroom door interrupted the brief silence. "Enter," Ganondorf instructed.

Veran stepped forth, wearing her purple gown. "Dark Lord," she greeted. "Have you heard?"

He nodded grimly. "The Interlopers were always going to betray us. We will hunt them down and punish them for their foolishness."

"Actually, my king, that wasn't what I was referring to," Veran replied, smiling. "Some of the townsfolk are emerging from hiding to pay tribute. The castle's courtyard is filling with the citizens."

"Begging for mercy, no doubt," Kotake scoffed.

"Who can blame them?" Veran asked. "The Dark Lord's power is the greatest in all the world." She smiled, walking closer to briefly caress Ganondorf's shoulder. "What shall I tell them?"

"Tell them nothing," Ganondorf commanded, brushing her aside. "I'll tell them myself."

"Oh, of course," Veran agreed, retracting her hand. "Nothing can equal you, my lord." She headed from his room, swaying her hips a bit more deliberately than her gown actually required.

"Trying to seduce you already," Koume noted.

"I'd watch out for that one," Kotake agreed.

"You have nothing to worry about," Ganondorf assured them. "I know what motivates my underlings. She is only interested in my power, and nothing more."

"Glad you learned not to trust women," Kotake said.

"Couldn't help but learn that, given where he was from," Koume agreed.

Ganondorf stepped out of his royal bedroom, descending down to the castle's first floor.

"Don't trouble yourself over sleep, son," Kotake told him, trying to sound soothing. "We'll find a way to quell those bad dreams of yours'."

"We haven't forgotten the best remedies," Koume promised. "Only the best for our son."

Ganondorf felt himself more at ease. Though at times they still spoke to him like a child, they respected him enough to be honest. They alone, he knew, he could fully depend on.

As he carried the Master Sword down to the castle's antechamber, Ganondorf contemplated why he still held it. With the Hero dead, and soon to be held up outside the castle for all to see, why would he still need it?

Because it was still the only thing that could harm him. A few overzealous 'allies' might one day take initiative and steal the sword while he slept… and when a man, even one as powerful as himself, surrounded himself by the cowardly, the desperate, and the violent, betrayal was inevitable.

He would sort that out soon. And once he no longer suspected any of his followers of betraying him, he would rid himself of the sword and be able to sleep without difficulty. He would truly be able to enjoy himself, once all the little details were sorted out.

He stepped into the courtyard, raising the Master Sword high in his left hand, displaying the Triforce of Power in his right. The townsfolk had not needed help confirming his identity: even though it had been decades since his last appearance, no one in Hyrule would ever be able to forget him.

He watched them lean forward, bowing to him, prostrating themselves. It was an excellent first step… he knew not every town and settlement would be so obedient.

Still, even without his rest, he could enjoy the night. And when the sun rose, he would march onto his kingdom, and feel the comfortable, temperate winds of Hyrule.

-

Scourge examined the place he was in. It was not drastically different from Hyrule field, with an expansive green valley surrounded by varying landscapes, and a single town in the center, noticeable from far off by its single clock tower.

"Come," he instructed Dark Link. "We have a lot of work to do."


End file.
